Pokemon: Torrential Sapphire
by DMONDThrice
Summary: A retelling of Pokemon Sapphire, seen through the eyes of Ruby, in first person. Elements from both the Pokemon Special manga and the 3rd Gen games, along with a plot that differs from both in many ways. Rated T, as it covers the overall content the best.
1. Chapter 1: First Drops

**_Chapter One: First Drops_**

There's a guy sitting in my room, digging through my bags and frantically checking every little niche, as if he was looking for something.

There isn't really anything special about him. He looks about 15 years old, around 5'10", slim build, with crimson eyes and short black hair, which he notices is exposed and quickly covers with a strange white hat that had been lying on the ground only a moment before. He's wearing a loose-fitting black and red T-shirt with some sort of minimalist design on it, baggy black pants, and fingerless red gloves. Whatever he's looking for must be pretty important to him; he seems distraught and a little frightened.

...of course, this guy is none other than me, and I'm searching for my Pokeball, which contains my one and only Pokemon, Mudkip. I mean, sure, I haven't had him too long, but that just makes it worse! I run out of my room, past my TV, clock, and bed, and hop down the stairs three at a time, to see if my mom had found my Pokeball. There it is! I don't know how it got down here, but my Poke Ball is resting on a mat on the coffee table.

"Ah, Ruby, honey, there you are! I took the liberty of washing up Mudkip and its Poke Ball! You can never be too clean, you know!" Well, that's my mom for you. She's kinda tall for a woman, but she isn't ugly, and she's nice to everyone in her own way. I think she might be a little obsessive compulsive or something; she never seems satisfied with the state of cleanliness around here. It used to annoy me a lot more, back when I spent a lot of time around here. Now that I'm always working with my dad, either in his lab or out in the field, I guess I've kinda stopped noticing it.

"Geez, mom, at least tell me when you take him! I was worried sick!" Ah well, I guess I can't be too mad. She's doing her best, and she's a good mom. She's just a little quirky. "Anyways, I'll leave him down here for now, I have to go tidy up a bit before I leave." I leave Mudkip on the table for now, I can get it on the way back.

"Alright honey, just make sure you're not late!" I guess she worries a little too much, too sometimes. But either way, I forget about it for now and head back upstairs to get the rest of my stuff ready to go help my dad, and tidy up the rest of my room a bit.

Pokenav...check. Guidebook...check. Potions and other miscellaneous supplies...check. And Mudkip is safe downstairs. I'm good to go, I guess." As soon as I finish my rambling, someone knocks on my door pretty vehemently. Before I can even answer, or even get up, the door bursts open and a girl about my age walks in. She has brown hair hanging down in two large bangs, bright blue eyes, and she's wearing a bandana...and clothes eerily reminiscent of my own, only a light blue, and with biker shorts instead of baggy pants.

"Wha..who—" I try to say something, but I'm cut off mid-sentence by this strange girl.

"Hi! You've gotta be Ruby, right? I'm Sapphire, I just moved here from Johto! Our parents have been friends for a while, I think. I wanna travel through Hoenn and become the Champion, but my mom won't let me..." What is up with this girl? She just barges into my room and starts blabbering on about this stuff! I can barely understand her anyways, what with her Johto accent!

"Uhhh..well, that's nice, I guess. But, well, I'm sorry, but I have to go help my dad record some data soon, so I can't stay here long." I'm not lying, but I still feel a little guilty. I guess it's because I really do just want to get away from this strange girl.

"Hmm...would your dad mind if I tagged along? I really like Pokemon, and I won't be a bother, I promise!" Dammit. I can't really say no to her, can I? If I do, it'll only make me look bad.

"Eh, fine. I don't think he'll mind. Actually, he'll probably be happy to have someone who's interested in this kind of thing. You see, I'm not really into battles or traveling. I'm a researcher, but I want to work inside, unlike my dad. Though I doubt you would understand that, since you seem to be really enthusiastic about all of this." Who knows? Maybe Dad'll send her off with a Pokedex instead and leave me be. Well, one can dream. Sapphire doesn't say anything, but her face shows that she's a little worried from my words, or maybe angry, it's difficult to tell.

We walk down the stairs, to be greeted by my mother, who's still cleaning up around the house. It seems Sapphire had at least introduced herself to my mom before she barged into my room, and they talk for a minute, but I don't really pay much attention. I go and get Mudkip's Pokeball, shrink it down, and attach it to my belt. I feel that having Mudkip with me might help somehow. When the girls are done talking, we head out to find my dad. However, Sapphire perks up when she sees the Pokeball on my belt.

"Waaa! You never told me you had a Pokemon! What kind is it? Can I see it?" Really, can she not wait until we get to where my father is? Well, I guess that's how this girl is. She's like the opposite of me: impatient, enthusiastic, and hyper-active. It can't hurt to be a bit late anyways.

"Uh, sure you can see it. Actually, try releasing it! All you do is hit this button in the center, and the Pokeball will open up to release the Pokemon. Then, when you want to recall it, just press the button again, and it'll open up again and the Pokemon will return to the Pokeball." I demonstrate once; though it's not that hard, I don't want to take any chances with Mudkip. She tries to release it, but she can't seem to. I hope I know what she's doing wrong. "Hey, Sapphire, are you holding the button?"

"Um..yes..am I not supposed to?" She seems a little shy on subjects that she's not used to, like this. It's pretty different from her normal personality. "No, you just tap the button. Don't worry, we all mess up sometimes!" Why am I being this nice to her? I'm usually pretty short with people, especially strange or unknown people...which this girl is both. Maybe I'm just desperate for a friend.

"Wow, you would really make a good professor! Do you like teaching people how to do things?" Her compliment kind of surprises me. I thought she'd be the gloating type. Not that I'm complaining.

"Thank you! It's what I want to do in my life, become a Pokemon Professor like Oak, and teach about Pokemon!" Not so much my dad, though. I mean, he's a great professor in his own right, but field work is not for me. Though I keep that to myself. I don't want to hurt my dad's feelings.

The rest of our trip goes by pretty uneventfully, with Sapphire playing with Mudkip's Pokeball like a child with a new toy. Which, actually, I guess that's what she is. She's pretty immature for her age, if I'm right that she's about my age. Then again, I'm kind of mature for our age, because of the work I've done around the lab and in the field. I notice a clearing ahead, where my dad is sitting with a briefcase and two small, red, laptop-like devices. It seemed that he was done, as he was putting the strange little machines back into the briefcase and was looking around for anything he'd dropped. Of course, all of this searching around means he saw us almost immediately.

"RUBY! There you are! How are you? I was wondering why you were so late, but now I see! You've brought along your girlfriend!" Sapphire and I blanche, and glance at each other.

"IT'S NOT LIKE TH-" My old man cuts us off. This is all so like him. Actually, it's a wonder he's not HER father. We're barely anything alike.

"I know, I know! I'm not as stupid as I look, I hope! This is Norman's kid, Sapphire, right? Well, that's fine! I was hoping to meet her soon, Norman said she really liked Pokemon and the outdoors!" He's grinning ear-to-ear. Must be pretty nice, having someone to relate to. "Thanks for dragging her along, son!"

"Ah, no, I wanted to come here! I wanted to see how you worked, but I kinda held him up..." Sapphire says pretty much what I was going to...so I'll jsut keep quiet for a minute. But, still why's he here? I know he comes to this area a lot, he must know everything there is to know about it by now. So why would he be here again...?

"It's no problem, don't worry about it! Well, I was just finishing up these Pokedexes! I like it out here, it's peaceful, and there are no pesky Aids! Or noisy machinery! These are perfect working conditions, wouldn't you say so, Sapphire?" He's treating her like he's known her for years. Oh, well. I guess he HAS, but I don't think that's why he's doing this. No, it's just him. He does this to everyone.

"Ah! Yes, Professor, I love it here! It's so quaint..." Quaint? I really didn't expect that from her...But anyways, these two are far more similar than I thought they'd be. I guess it's a good thing that they get along so well, but TWO just like him now? Perish the thought...I'm doomed.

"Well, we should probably be heading back for now. It'll get dark soon, and there're lots of powerful nocturnal Pokemon around here." We take his advice and start to leave. But then...

BOOOOOOSH

Thunder suddenly cracked through the damp air, and storm clouds formed atop the clearing and surrounding forest. A gigantic cascade of water fell upon us, so heavy that it blocked out what light was left through the clouds.

"I-I can't see a thing! Where'd you kids get off to?" Dad was yelling something, but it was in vain; the torrent muffled his voice far too much for it to carry more than a foot or two, and I couldn't even determine where it was coming from. All I really knew was that somehow I'd managed to grab his briefcase, along with Sapphire's hand. The rain was coming down so strongly that it stung my head even through my hat. It had to be worse for Sapphire; all she had was that bandana.

I struggle to open up my dad's case under the downpour. Eventually, I get it open and get what I was looking for, a Pokeball. I just hope it's the right one. I lay it down and latch the briefcase again.

"Sapphire! Take this!" I push the Pokeball into her free hand. "Listen, DON'T let go of my hand! But if we do get separated and you need to protect yourself, release that Pokemon! If it's red, tell it to use Scratch! If it's green, use Pound! But we gotta go now! Don't worry about my dad, he'll be fine!" I hope I sound a lot braver than I feel, for Sapphire's sake. I'm scared out of my wits right now, and if she knew that, she'd be even more scared. I'm also worried about my dad, as I really don't believe what I just said. He has Pokemon with him, but they can't really do much against THIS. But, now is the time to worry about us, not him.

We run off through the downpour, not knowing exactly where we're headed. The last thing I really remember well is feeling Sapphire shaking, and then another crash of thunder.

When I come to, it's the dead of night. The vegetation and trees around me are soaked, but it's pretty quiet, so I guess it isn't raining any more. I get up and look around, and notice my dad's briefcase to my right, and Sapphire a little ways to my left. Dad...I wonder if he's alright. He should be, he knows this place so well, but that storm was so unreal...I can't help but worry about him.

As for us, though, we need to get out of here. Sleeping on this soaked ground can't be healthy, and there are no doubt wild Pokemon around here. No, we have to leave soon. I'll let Sapphire sleep for a little while longer; she'll need it, and I need to check up on some stuff before we leave anyways. I walk over to the briefcase and unhinge it. Everything is there, and the Pokedexes at least turn on, so I guess he made them waterproof. Good idea.

The last Pokeball is still there, and I notice that it has a label on it. I guess I missed that last night. I should have payed more attention, as the ball is labeled Treecko, the one I meant to give Sapphire last night. She got Torchic, then. It's a good thing she didn't have to release it; Fire types are not very comfortable in rain for obvious reasons. It might have attacked her.

There are also some notes in the briefcase, but those can wait. I just wanted to make sure everything was there. We need to get going soon, though, so I walk over and wake Sapphire up. I give her a few minutes to wake up properly, then tell her the situation.

"Sapphire, it's time to get out of here. We can't sleep here; it's too dangerous with the wild Pokemon, and it might start raining again. We need to get home or to the nearest city." I guess I explained it pretty well, at the least she doesn't look too confused. She looks determined, actually. Maybe she's more dependable than she seems.

"Okay! You have a map, right? I hope we can get home soon, I don't want my parents to worry."

"It's good to worry about your parents, but right now we're in more danger. And yes, my Pokenav has a map. It also has a phone, but can you wait until we're out of the forest to call? It might attract Pokemon. We're talking too much as it is." It's a little mean, but it's true. I check my Pokenav, and I'm glad for my backpack being waterproof. Anything less and my stuff would all be ruined.

"It's okay. I don't have to call them now. But...you're a little blunt sometimes, you know?" Yeah, I know. My parents think it's one of my bigger faults, and the reason I don't have too many friends. Well, it's just me.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, I'm not really trying to be mean. But anyways, it seems that we wandered a long way; we're near Petalburg. It should be right outside these trees, in fact. That's probably why we were safe this long; the Pokemon don't usually wander this close to the city." We really were lucky, I guess. But then again, if we'd just gone a little more before we stopped, we would have made it to the city.

"Petalbug? My dad's the Gym Leader there! Let's hurry up, Ruby!" Huh. I'd heard Petalburg was getting a new Leader. I should've guessed.

"Alright then, now there's even more reason to go. Let's get out of here." But just when we get ready to leave, a scream stops us.

"FINALLY! PEOPLE!" A green-haired boy in a white button-up shirt and green pants was running towards us. He looked frantic and scared, but also glad to have found us.

"Whoa, quiet down a bit; there might be wild Pokemon around here. What's wrong, did something happen in Petalbug?" I'm worried at this point. If anything really bad had happened, we'd have to walk back to Littleroot tonight, which is a long way off.

"Um, no, it's nothing like that. I've just been lost for a long time. You see, the Leader, Norman, told me to wait for his daughter to come help me catch a Pokemon yesterday...but she never came. I thought I'd be fine, so he gave me a Pokemon to help catch one. And it did! I caught one! But...as soon as I let it out, it Teleported me into the forest! I tried to get it to take me back, but it wouldn't! I've been stuck out here all night, wandering around in the rain!" Wow, he's pretty talkative. He looked really shy. Maybe he's jsut scared, though.

"That's pretty bad. I'm Ruby, and this is Sapphire. We've been here all night, too, because of that rain. Speaking of the rain, do you have any idea why it was so strong?" It can't hurt to ask. And even if he doesn't, that just means that it definitely is not normal.

"My name's Wally. And no, I'm sorry, I have no idea. Bu-but can you tell me where Petalburg is? I need to get back and give Norman his Pokemon back!"

"Sure we can! In fact, we'll go with you, we're heading there anyways! And don't worry about my dad, I'll calm him down if he gets mad!" Sapphire's a lot nicer than me. I should probably leave Wally to her.

"You'll come with me? Really? Thank you! And you're Norman's daughter? I wish we could all be friends, but, well, the whole reason I came to get a Pokemon in the first place is because my parents are sending me to live with my aunt and uncle in Verdanturf. They say that the air is healthier there or something." Yeah, I was right. He is talkative, but he's likable too. The air, though...does he have asthma? I ask him about it.

"Oh, no, I don't have asthma..I'm anemic. And I'm hemophilic, or an easy bleeder, which makes it even worse. My parents say that if I go somewhere with cleaner air, I'll get more oxygen in my blood, and that'll make me feel better. But I didn't want to be alone there, so I asked them if I could get a Pokemon, and they agreed. But I'm talking too much, aren't I? I'm sorry, I always do this. I don't have many friends myself, so I talk a lot when I do meet someone." Son of a bitch, Wally. At least you realize it. While he was talking, we'd reached the outskirts of Petalburg.

"Uh, sorry, Wally, but Sapphire wanted to call her parents, so we'll need to be a little quieter." Wally nods, and I hand Sapphire my Pokenav and show her how to call with it. When she walks away, Wally and I start to talk.

"Wally, you're alright, right? Being out here with anemia must have been tough. Have you even had any sleep?" I don't think he has; his eyes are bloodshot and have bags under them.

"No, no, I'm fine, really! But you're right, I haven't had any sleep. I was too afraid, even with Norman's Pokemon. And I haven't let my other Pokemon out since it Teleported me." Right, that's how he got here. Teleport, though...

"Wally, that's a Ralts, I think. It's the only thing around here with Teleport. You're pretty lucky; Ralts are rare. But I guess it's a problem if it doesn't obey you..."

"Yeah, it is. But I'm glad it's special! But that is a problem, and I can't really train it myself..."

I need to do something about that...if his Pokemon doesn't obey him and teleports him somewhere, he could be in trouble. But I can't really train it; I'm not that great at doing it myself. I guess I could teach HIM the basics, though. But not with Ralts. If he lets it out and it misbehaves again, we'll all be screwed.

"Here, Wally, take this." I get the last Pokeball, the one with Treecko, out and hand it to Wally. "That's a Treecko, and it should obey you. I'm going to teach you how to train Pokemon so that Ralts will obey you...and any others you may catch." If he catches on to what I tell him, I'm sure he'd make a great Trainer.

"Thank you! I've wanted to train Pokemon since I was ten, but my parents never let me! I had to beg them to let me get one...but if you teach me, I'll be able to catch a lot! Thank you so much, Ruby!" Well, I'm glad he's happy, at least. I just hope I can teach him well.

While Sapphire talks, I train Wally. He seems to get the hang of this pretty quickly; he'll be a better trainer than I will, for sure. After about twenty minutes, the last five of which had Sapphire watching, I decide that he's ready.

"Wally, send out Ralts. We need to see if you can get it to obey you now. You should know how to sooth it if it's afraid." I mainly taught him how to calm Pokemon and get them to like him, since that is his main problem, so he should be able to handle it. Plus, with Treecko there, Ralts might trust Wally a little more.

"Well, if you think it'll be fine, then okay." I got worried when he first sent it out; it looked startled and seemed about to run off. But then Treecko approached it, and the Ralts seemed to calm down a little. "Wally, call it over to you." when he does, the Ralts looks a little hesitant at first, but after a look at Treecko, it goes over to Wally and sits down next to him.

"This is great! Thank you so much, Ruby! Is there any way to thank you?" Well, I'm glad he's happy, but I really didn't teach him much...

"No, there's no need to thank me. Just become a good trainer, and raise those two with care." It's risky, and it might get me in trouble with Dad, but I'm going on a journey anyways; he can't stay mad if I get him a lot of Pokemon.

"Two..you mean...Treecko? But, this is yours, isn't it? Don't you want it?" Oh right. Wally doesn't know.

"No, it's not mine. It's one of the Starter Pokemon my dad gives out. He's Professor Birch. And...I don't know if I should do this, but take this with you too." I'm kinda embarrassed at Wally's amazed look as I tell him this, and when I give him the Pokedex.

What? These are the Professor's? No, I can't take this, he'll get angry!" He reacted like I thought he would, but I have to convince him to take them.

"Wally, it's fine. I've been in trouble with my dad before. I'll be fine, and he won't get mad at you. Though it'd be nice if you got a Pokenav in Rustboro and called him. I'll give you his number when we're in Petalburg. And if you want to repay him for this, just catch a lot of Pokemon on your journey. That thing's called a Pokedex, and it will record data on all the Pokemon you catch, and a bit before that. I'm doing it too, so I can repay my dad with the Pokemon I catch. He can't stay mad anyways, it's not in his nature." I can't say I really talk that much at one time very often, but he never tried to interrupt and just let me speak.

"If..if you say so, Ruby! But this is like getting it handed to me by the Professor! It's like I'm a recognized Trainer! With this, not even my parents can say no! And my brother...this'll mean the world to him!" He might be taking this a bit too far, but I guess it's not that bad. He's enthusiastic about all this, unlike me. And hopefully his brother will support him.

"Hey, guys, this is great, but we need to get into Petalburg! I'm dead tired, and the sun is coming up! And I'm sure Wally's parents are worried sick, the same for you, Ruby." Oh wow. She's right...I guess I just forgot about the time while I was talking to Wally. I'll call my parents once we get to the PokeCenter in Petalburg.

"Wally, do you want to show us around? We can find the PokeCenter on our own if you can't, but I'd like if you showed us."

"Yeah, Wally, come on! This way, you can repay Ruby like you wanted! Please?" Maybe she's a little TOO excited...but whatever, it's fine with me if it's fine with Wally.

"Uhh, sure. My house is in that direction anyways, though it's further on."

We let him lead us, and he thanks me again and again for Treecko and the Pokedex. I take in the sites; the small houses, the people and the plants and grass. It's not what I expected a city to be. It's got a lot of people, though. Maybe too many. I don't really like crowds that much. It's not so much a fear as a dislike, but it can still be a problem. Still, it's enjoyable, and the people seem happy enough. The two lakes here look like they'd be fun to swim in, and the houses are nice enough. The Gym is pretty big, and is near the north of the city. The whole city is surrounded by woods, and we came out near the south, to the right of the bigger, L-shaped lake. After a short walk, we see the PokeCenter, and say goodbye to Wally.

"Thank you, Wally! I'm sorry, but we need to go sleep..wait, they DO have beds here, right?" Oh right. Most PokeCenters do, so hopefully this one won't be any different.

Yeah, it has beds. We get a few travelers every now and then, on their way to the Professor's place, so you should be welcomed by the nurse. But again, Ruby, thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me! But, I'm sorry for keeping you. Bye, guys!"

"See ya later, Wally."

"Bye, Wally! Thanks for showing us around!" We say our goodbyes, and then head into the PokeCenter. It's clean inside, and there aren't many people around. There's a little table with magazines on it, and a PC near the right wall. The machine behind the nurse must be for healing Pokemon, as my dad has one similar to it, and he's used it to heal Mudkip before.

"You kids look beat. Were you out all night in that storm? That's bad for your health!" This comes from the lady at the counter, and of course she'd say something like that; she's a nurse. She's dressed in white, with pink hair dressed up into a bow, and there's a Chansey next to her.

"Yes, we got caught in the storm...but we just need a place to sleep! Can we use the beds here?" Well, Sapphire knows how to get to the point. But yeah, now that I'm not really doing anything, I'm dead tired. I need a bed soon or I'll pass out on the floor.

"Sure, the beds are open to anyone! Unfortunately, there's only one open right now, so you'll both have to sleep in it!" I go pale white, then a deep red color.

"No, I..uh, I'll sleep on the floor, Sapphire can have the bed!" Wait, why is the nurse laughing? Is it really that...oh. Right. What is it with adults and these damn jokes of theirs?

"Haha. I'm just kidding, all of the beds are open. But you're very nice to let her have the bed, young sir." I think she's just trying to calm me down now. It won't work THAT easily, though. At least sleeping will help me.

"Yeah, thanks, Ruby! I was going to let you have it, though! I'm fine with sleeping on the floor; I used to do it for fun, pretending I was outside!" Uhh...okay. I can't say that that isn't a little weird, but to each his/her own, I guess.

"Well, anyways, lets go upstairs and get some rest. You can go on to bed, I just need to call my parents and talk to them a bit." Hopefully Dad doesn't take it too badly...We go upstairs, where there are three beds waiting for us. There are also some unused stalls here, with machines and doors behind them. A picture of some other region is on the wall, and there's a shelf of Pokemon books on one wall. I ignore all of these, sit down on the bed, and call my dad, who I'm sure is already up and outside even at this hour.

"Ruby? Where'd you get off to last night, I was worried sick!" I explain everything that had happened, and that I'd given the other Pokemon and Pokedex away.

You gave them away? To a green haired kid? Well, if Norman trusts that kid with a Pokemon, I do to. You told him about the Pokedex, right? I'm sure he'll do fine, especially if he gets in contact with me. No, I'm not angry, in fact I'm proud of you, son! You handled that like I would have! And you're showing that you'll be a great professor someday!"

Are you kidding me? Any normal person would be at least a little angry. Then again, my dad has never been normal, has he? I shouldn't complain, he could be telling me to come home now.

"Well, alright, Dad, but can you tell Mom for me? I need to get some sleep, and I might be keeping Sapphire up as well."

"Sure, Ruby! I'll call her right away, she was pretty worried last night. Just you and that girlfriend of yours get some sleep, and call me when you get up!" He then hangs up before I can say anything to him. Urgh. These people do this JUST to piss me off, I'm sure. Oh well, he's not chewing my face off for it, so I should be glad. When I look over, I see Sapphire's already out, or at least is faking it for my sake.

"Night, Sapphire."

"Night!" I guess she was still awake. Well, time for me to get some sleep too. I don't think it'll be long before I'm out.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, here it is. The first chapter of this story, which, as of writing this AN, has no name. Thanks go out to some of my friends for helping me, and reading over a beta chapter I made, which was mainly to test my writing style. If this seems a little formal at times, I'm sorry, but I'm usually an essay writer, but I'll try to work on that...and believe me, this seemed much more serious when it was in 3rd person. Far too serious, in fact. Yeah, the beta chapter was originally in 3rd person, but apparently I'm horrible at that and can't convery the emotion well with it, so yeah. 1st it is. I plan to put in little random-ass trivia about either Pokemon, the fic, or my life in general. Also, yes, I know I skipped Oldale, but it isn't that important to the plot, and the story itself is obviously not going to follow the manga or the games too closely. Please read+review(flames too, whatever goes).

Today's Trivia: The Nidoran families could not learn Dig in the first generation games through any means.


	2. Chapter 2: Preparations

Chapter 2- Getting Ready

That afternoon, I'm woken by the flip of a switch. The light switch.

"Wake up! You need to get up now if you want to get out before dark!" Before...dark? Oh right, we were up until nearly noon because of everything that happened last night. I think total we've gotten about six hours' sleep...so I guess we're good. At least I am, I don't know about Sapphire. Speaking of which...where is she?

"If you're looking for that girl, she woke up a few minutes ago, and asked me where the Gym was. It's just to the northwest of here, if you want to follow." Well, the nurse is helpful, at least. But..should I follow Sapphire? She might want to be alone with her dad for a while, and it would be rude to interrupt that. Okay. If Sapphire isn't back in thirty minutes, I'll go to the Gym and see what's going on. But while I'm waiting, I'll check out my stuff.

Everything is present and in order, as expected. I look around the room, just in case I've missed something, and notice a note lying on the table. Why didn't the nurse tell me Sapphire had left a note?

"Wait...this is from...Wally?" I may as well read it; he wouldn't leave a note for no reason.

"Hey Ruby and Sapphire! If you're reading this, I've probably already left for Verdanturf. Or maybe you just woke up early..But anyways, thank you again for everything you did! If you come to Verdanturf, call me! My number's at the bottom.

PS: I noticed some strange-looking guys near the woods...they don't seem friendly, so I'm going to stay away from them when I head out that way. You should, too!

PPS: Let's battle when you get to Verdanturf! I'll be good enough to take you both on then!

PPPS: Don't worry about me! With Ralts, I can Teleport out of trouble if I have to!"

Well, that wasn't as long as I thought it would be. Though his horrible handwriting is probably why he didn't write much. Really, Wally, I can barely read this chickenscratch...But it was nice of him to write to us. Strange people..are they just angry tourists, or could they be theives? That worries me, especially since we have to head that way to get to Rustboro. Wally should be safe; even if they are theives, he can get away with Ralts. And he knows that, so he's taken care of.

No, what worries me is Sapphire. She's too hyper, and she might confront these people if they try to do anything illegal or try to harm Pokemon, instead of informing the authorities like I would. And it's not like I can stop her; I can't mute her, even if I could hold her down. I'll just have to steer clear of those people, and hope that Sapphire doesn't notice them. Speaking of Sapphire, I didn't notice it, but time flew while I was thinking. I guess I'll go to the Gym.

When I walk outside, I realize just how different Petalburg city is when you're not dead-tired. The people seem a lot more friendly, the buldings aren't as ominous, and you notice the little things about the city that make people want to live there, like how open everything is; you don't feel threatened here at all. The water and foliage is prettier, and the Pokemon don't look menacing anymore. I lose track of time as I admire the city, and before I know it I'm at Petalburg Gym. It's a bit bigger than I'd thought it would be...and it's very plain. I wonder what type Sapphire's dad specializes in? Most Leaders have a special type, and I'm guessing he's no different. But I'm only distracting myself here... I'll walk in and hope for the best.

I walk up to the door and get ready to step in when Sapphire walks out, beside a tall, stern-looking man with slicked-back black hair, a red, striped, long-sleeved shirt, plain blue pants, and black combat boots. This guy...every fiber of his being oozes power. If this is Sapphire's father..I really need to watch my back. And make sure I don't make her angry; she might call on him. Or worse, she might become just as terrifying.

"Who are you?" His voice fit his character; gravelly, stern, and just a little bit terrifying, and it doesn't help that his face never changes. But even beyond all of that, there was something odd about how he was looking at me.

"I'm Ru-"

" HEY RUBY! I was just leaving! But since you're here, this is my dad, Norman! He may not look it, but he can be pretty nice sometimes too!" Sapphire...please don't do anything to make your dad angry. Please.

"I can introduce myself, Sapphire. So you're Ruby, the one who came here with my daughter. You don't look that different than you did ten years ago. Just older, a little less childish...and more like your father."

"I can't really take that last part as a compliment, sir..." Why am I joking with this guy? I bet he could rip me in half. Hell, he might enjoy it, too. Either wa, he laughed a bit when I said it, so I guess I'll be okay.

"Yeah, you're your father's kid all right. I'd always wondered if there was some mix up at the hospital; Sapphire always acted just like Birch. But I guess we'd have noticed if you switched genders, huh? Well, my wife would have; I...wasn't there." Wasn't there? How could he miss his own daughter's birth? But the look on his face changed a bit when he said that...it's a little bit more sad-looking. I can tell that he's really torn up about that...so I won't say anything. Wait though. Did Sapphire know this before? I guess so; she doesn't seem surprised or angry, just a little sad. Just like her father.

"Well, you two need to get along if you're going back to Littleroot. It won't take you as long this time since you'll know where you are from the start, and you'll be able to see the path."

I'm about to thank him and start heading back to Littleroot when my Pokenav goes off. I check the number, and realize it's Dad. But why would he call now? Did something happen? Or is he just wondering where we are? Regardless, I answer my Pokenav.

"Hey Ruby! How are you two doing? You haven't gotten into too much trouble, I hope?" What does he mean by that? There aren't that many ways to get in trouble around Petalburg...Unless he means with Norman.

"Um, we're fine, Dad. We're talking to Norman right now, but don't worry; we're about to head back." Norman lights up a bit when he realizes who it is. I'll let them talk before we go; it's polite and I need to get as far on Norman's good side as possible. I can't even imagine what would happen if he started disliking me...and I don't want to.

"Ha ha! No no, son! That's why I called. I've talked it over with everyone here, and they say that it's fine for you two to just keep going! You were about to leave anyways, right, Ruby? And Sapphire's always wanted to, but from what I've heard, her mother thought it was too dangerous. Well, she says it's fine if she's not alone! So! As long as it's fine with you two and Norman, you can just continue on from there!" I'd thought about this...but I planned on taking Sapphire back before I left. But if she can go, we can leave soon. Not tonight; I don't have enough supplies for two people and her Pokemon. But definitely tomorrow.

"Okay, Dad. I'll ask them about it, one second." It feels weird talking in front of other people with them not knowing what's going on anyways...I've never liked keeping people in the dark.

"Well, my dad talked it over with everyone in Littleroot...and he says it's okay if we go on on this journey, instead of going back now. And...that includes Sapphire, if it's okay with you two. But we'd have to travel together, or her mom won't allow it." Man, I wish I was better at conveying my emotions, or even just sounding lively. But, being raised in a lab and around a person with far too much of it, you start to resent it a bit...maybe it's the opposite for Sapphire. Her dad seems to be more like me. If her mom is anything like us, then she probably always wanted more emotion in her life; and that's why she's the way she is.

"Hey, kid! Did you hear me?" Norman snaps me out of my daze...what were we talking about again? "I said it was fine with me if she goes. Truth be told, I've always wanted her to go on her own Pokemon journey, but her mom would never allow it. And I guess it's better if there's someone with her." Oh right; whether Sapphire would be coming along.

"Of course I'm fine with it! I've wanted this for so long! And it'll be even better if I'm not alone! But I'm surprised my mom is letting me just because someone is with me...Maybe it's because you're the son of a professor!" Maybe...but knowing my dad should make her more uneasy about me, not less.

"Well, if everyone else is fine with it, I have no problem. But I'll say this now; I don't like to battle. I know a lot of stuff about it, and I'm not that bad, but I just don't like it. So, Sapphire, you'll be doing a lot of the battling. I will if I need to, but I don't really want to have to, if you know what I mean." I need to get this over with now, in front of Norman. If he finds out later that I don't battle, he may get angry at me.

"That's fine, Ruby! I've always wanted to battle, and now I'll get to even more! But..are you fine with it, Dad?" That's what I was worried about...If her dad thinks that I can't help her, then he may not let her go.

"I'm fine with it. This way, you'll learn some responsibility. Having someone taking care of you all the time isn't good for you. That goes for you too, kid. You can't just sit around and let my daughter do everything." Well, Norman's right. But I planned to pull my weight from the start. But before I can say this...

"Dad! You can't say that! If it wasn't for Ruby, I would still be lost in the forest! And Wally would, too! He helped me when it started raining all of a sudden, too! And he even gave me this Pokemon, too!" Maybe she said a little too much; Norman knows I'm not a professor.

"Well, you seem dependable, at least. And about the Pokemon...Birch would have done the same thing. But Wally...you two ran into him? I was wondering where he'd gotten off to. Then he just showed up this morning with my Pokemon."

"Yeah, he caught a Ralts...but it Teleported him into the woods! But Ruby taught him how to control his Pokemon and everything!" Yeah, I guess I did. But it's only natural for someone aspiring to be a Pokemon Professor.

"That's fine then. If you know that much about Pokemon, then you should be fine, even if you don't battle. Just teach Sapphire while you're on the journey, okay? I don't want her to injure her Pokemon or herself because she doesn't know how to control them." Yeah, I'd planned to do all of this from the start. Norman and I, we really think alike.

"Well, if we're going to go, we need to go get some more supplies; I only have enough for myself. And we'll need to go to the Mart soon if we want to get them tonight, though we probably won't leave until the morning." Everything I've said is true, but I can't really order Sapphire to leave now if she wants to stay for a little while longer.

"I agree. Sapphire, you two need to go get supplies now. If you want to come back and talk to me after you do that, you can. And yes, you should stay in Petalburg tonight. Leaving in the daylight will be safer and it will allow you to see the sights around here." I wonder if Norman had a similar upbringing to me...nearly everything he says is in direct correlation to what I say or am thinking...

"Um, okay, if you two say we need to, then we probably do! But..I really don't know what to buy, and I don't have any money.." That's right; I spent most of my money on my supplies, and Sapphire never had any to begin with. But surely her dad will give her some money.

"I'm sure Ruby has his supplies already. Therefore, you can take this, Sapphire." Good, I thought so. He gives her enough money for her supplies, and a bit exra, which I guess is in case we run out of something early.

We bid farewell to Norman and head to the PokeMart, which is fairly easy to find thanks to my Pokenav's map.

"Uh, Ruby? This is kinda embarrassing...but I don't know what to buy here.." Well, I guess I should have expected this; she's never bought anything like this before and she hasn't studied it like I did.

"That's okay. I didn't really expect you to. For basics...you'll definitely want a sleeping bag of some sort. We'll have to use just sleeping bags until we get enough for a tent, sorry. You'll get used to it, though. I did, so you definitely can. As for the actual supplies...just look in my bag; that should show you a good estimate. If it looks like I'm lacking in one thing or have too much of something, feel free to get more or less of that.; I have no problem sharing stuff if you're fine with it. Oh, and you'll need a backpack to carry it all in." Hopefully she gets all of that; I feel like I was talking a little too quickly there.

"Wow...you sure talk a lot when you're explaining something. You're usually so quiet!" Yeah, she picked up on that. But it's only natural for a professor to like explaining things to people. "About sharing, that's fine with me! Soooo...Potions, Antidotes, Paralyz Heals, Awakenings, and Pokeballs! And what is this? It isn't labeled..." Huh? Not labeled? Sapphire pulls a small, round thing that resembles a very thick disc out of my bag.

"Oh! That's a new invention! You see those little pads that come with it? When you go into a cave, you place one on a rock or wall. Then, if you get lost in the cave, you hit the button in the center, and a small map will come up, with a trail leading back to the pad. If you get out with no problem, you just hit this little button and the pad will deactivate. The pads are biodegrable, too, so they won't harm the environment! Oh..sorry, I spoke too fast again, huh?" I need to work on that. I totally lose my calm demeanor when I explain things. I guess I am a bit like my father in that way.

"No, it's fine..but I just can't really get how this works. But I guess I don't have to, huh? If it works, it works, right? Well, let's go on in, I wanna see this place!" I guess so..but I don't see what's so exciting about a Poke Mart. Oh well, I won't ruin it for her.

We walk into the brightly lit store, where the walls are lined with all sorts of items and supplies. Everything is arranged neatly, and it all looks easy to find.

"Okay, Sapphire. We can get everything but the sleeping bag on the shelves. The bags are in the back; we'll have to ask the clerk to get it for us." With that, we start gathering up the items. By the time we got up to the counter, our arms were packed full. The clerk didn't look surprised; after all, people probably buy a lot more than this when they have the money. Sapphire had bought the same kind of backpack as I had, so there would be no problem with room. Once we'd packed everything neatly into the backpack, including the sleeping bag, we headed back out into the city, where it was already pitch-black except for the street lights.

"Thanks for helping with everything, Ruby! But why didn't we wait until morning? We wouldn't have had to walk back at night if we had."

"Well, I wasn't really tired enough to sleep then, and we wouldn't have had anything to do if we had just gone back to the center. Besides, we need to start as early as possible tomorrow, so we can't waste too much time. Anyways, we need to get back to the center now, right?" I hate boredom, so I didn't really want to sit around in the Poke Center forever anyways. And now, I'm getting tired, so I won't be up long at the Center.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Let's go back." And of course, we do. Once we get back to the Center, the Nurse greets us as normal. I thought she would ask why we're back, but oh well. We head upstairs, and Sapphire gets her Pokeball out and releases Torchic.

"Hey, what are you doing, Sapphire? Is Torchic hurt somehow?" Wait, if it was hurt, she would have taken it to the nurse downstairs...but then why would she release it here?

"Huh? No, Ruby! I just thought that it might be bored being in that ball all day. I don't know how it is in there, but I know I'd rather be out here! You should let Mudkip out too!" Yeah, now that I think about it, if I hate boredom, why wouldn't Mudkip? I'd hate to be in there all alone, no matter what it's like otherwise.

"You're right. Come on out, boy!" I let him out, and for the first time, I study the two. Torchic is small, with an orange, round head and body, short legs with two small, three-toed feet. A beak is in place of its mouth, and has a tuft of yellow feathers on its head. It has no real arms, only small wings the same color as its head feathers.

Mudkip, on the other had, is a little bit bigger. It's mostly blue, with a roundish head with a large fin sticking up out of it, and a small, orange, spiked...thing sticking out on each side. Another fin serves as a sort of tail, and unlike Torchic, it stands on four legs, each with small feet and very small toes. It has a normal mouth, if not a bit large.

The two Pokemon play around with each other, and I make a small pad on the ground for them using some spare blanket I found in the closet...hopefully the nurse doesn't mind.

Either way, it's time for us to go to sleep. Again, the room is empty except for us, and we get ready to lie down.

"Good night, Sapphire. We'll leave when we wake up in the morning, so try to get up early."

"I will, don't worry! And good night!" With that, I crawl into the bed, and fall asleep, watching Mudkip do the same. I wonder what'll happen to us...

Author's Note: Yeah, sorry. No real action in this chapter either...but seeing as how the next will cover stuff like the route before Petalburg and the woods, it shouldn't be AS boring as these first chapters. Sorry if the update is a bit later than it should be; this is my first fanfic, so I'm not really sure on update times. I'll just try to get the chapters out as I complete them.

Oh right. Trivia. The Charmander and Cyndaquil families have the exact same base stats.


	3. Chapter 3: Shades of Blue

AN: This AN is coming first today...I need to say some stuff in it. The one with the trivia and afterword on the chapter will still be at the end.

If you don't know, which you likely don't, I am also a Let's Player...I don't have TOO much done right now because I had to stop for a while due to living situations and other such things...including my bipolar internet connection which seems to only work when I give it nice candies. On top of that, I seem to have gotten some sort of virus, and am currently running in Safe Mode(with a bit of extra adjustments to give me sound) because in normal mode it freezes up after about ten seconds and refuses to do jack shit.. Also due to all this, I had to halt on the fanfic for a while, and I'm deeply sorry for how late this chapter is. Either way, all that is in the past; though I still have the virus, I've been fine in Safe Mode the last few days..though I'm not sure if I can record in Safe Mode, I can at least write. Now, on to the actual chapter...

Chapter 3-Shades of Blue

When I wake up, Sapphire is still sound asleep, as are both Pokemon. Well, this at least gives me more time to get ready for the day without fear of anyone interrupting me. I take a shower and decide to look through my items one last time. I figure that recalling Mudkip would be pretty pointless at the moment, since he's asleep and isn't going to wander off anywhere.

The moment I finally decide that everything that was in my bag last night has not magically teleported off somewhere, Sapphire starts to wake up.

"Finally awake, are we? Maybe you should get a tighter sleep schedule like me, I hear it helps with concentration." This is all bullshit, of course. My own sleep schedule is completely random; I sleep when I'm tired and wake up when I'm not. But she doesn't know that...yet, so there's no harm in having a little fun.

"Oh, be quiet; you. You should be glad I woke up before noon, y'know? Anyways, should we go now or wait a little while?" Well, Sapphire's not a morning person...noted.

"Don't you need to take a shower? Or check to make sure everything is still all together?"

"I took a bath last night; I woke up in the night and just decided to take one to relax. And check on my things? You think they just ran off? Don't be silly, Ruby!" Baths? Relaxing? I hate baths; what's the point of getting clean if you're just laying in the water with all the filth? Though I guess most people would consider hot baths relaxing...not me. I can't stand hot showers or baths, the drain all the energy out of me and make me too tired to move.

"Hey! Ruby, is something wrong? You seem a bit out of it..." Oh, right...I can't just daydream now; I've got someone with me.

"Hmm? Uh, no, I'm fine. I must still be a little sleepy, I guess. Anyways, I think we should get going pretty soon; the earlier we start, the sooner we'll get to Rustboro. I'll go wake Mudkip up, okay?" Yeah, it's good to get off the subject of just how spaced out I really am. She doesn't need to know about that just yet.

"Oh, alright then! I'll wake Torchic up, I guess...but it looks so peaceful, maybe I should let it sleep a little more..." It? Does she not know Torchic's gender yet? Ah well, it's nothing too important, and it can be remedied easily.

"Well, you may as well wake it up now to give it time to actually get going. Oh, and take it down to Nurse Joy; she can give it a checkup and tell you Torchic's gender." It's a good thing that the National League funds all of the Pokemon Centers in a country, otherwise Trainers would run short on cash just from healing their Pokemon or resting at a Center.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea. See you in a minute then, Ruby!" After Sapphire heads down the stairs, I shake Mudkip awake, and watch it wobble around for a minute. It's pretty adorable, really. I'd never took much time to just look at him before. Well, I can keep him out of his Pokeball for a little while; it isn't like he'll run off or anything.

Now, about Wally's note...he said something about strange people. I don't know what he meant by that, really. He could mean just abnormal, weird people or he could have meant threatening or evil-looking people. Well, for now, I'll keep this to myself. Again, no sense in worrying Sapphire and potentially getting us into some kind of trouble.

"Okay, Ruby! Nurse Joy checked Torchic out, and it's female like I thought! Oh, and I guess I'm ready to leave now, if you are."

"Female? That's pretty rare, actually. Most Torchic are male, like Mudkip. Well, okay, if you're ready to go, then I am as well. I'm going to keep Mudkip out of his Pokeball for a while; I don't think he'll run off." And even if he does, I can catch him easily. Those stubby legs are not made for running.

"Then hurry up! I wanna get going now!" Well, she didn't recall Torchic, so I guess she's gonna let it rove around...but Torchic will have to be watched; she can actually get away since she's decently quick and so small. Guess I'll have to do it...

We head downstairs, out the PokeCenter's door, and through the mostly-empty city streets towards the western outskirts of Petalburg. The main thing that bothers me is just how abandoned the streets are. Even when we first got here, early in the morning, there were people about...but not now.

"Hey, Ruby! Are you still asleep? Or did you just not hear me?" Wha? Oh, Sapphire said something. I have to work on this stupid spacing out.

"Uh, I didn't hear you, could you say it again?" She can think I'm deaf all she wants.

"Well, I just said that it's awfully quiet out this morning, you know? I wonder why that it is..." Huh. Maybe I've been underestimating Sapphire. Then again, it isn't like it's all that hard to notice.

"Yeah, I've noticed it as well. It's a little eerie, to be honest. Just watch out, all of this is giving me a bad feeling."

"Hey! You two!" Huh? When I hear the voice, I look around, and finally find the source, off to my left. It's a weirdly dressed man... He's wearing a black and white striped shirt, blue pants with strange, circular patterns on them, and a blue bandana with a vaguely pirate-like symbol in the middle. There's..something strange about this guy, but I can't really tell what it is. I'll just see what he has to say, I guess. "What are you doing out? Haven't you heard the news? A Devon researcher was nearly mugged in the woods last night! Everyone's holed up in their houses in case the guys who did it are still around!" Wha...that's worse than I expected. I'd just thought that there was a warning about the weather or something. But a mugging..or wait.

"What do you mean by "nearly mugged? Did the researcher manage to escape? Or did someone come along?" It's probably the second one...I doubt a researcher could have outrun a mugger, really.

"Well, actually, rumor has it that it was a kid who stopped the guy. I don't believe that, though. Devon makes sure that its employees always have a Pokemon on hand, in case this ever happens. If the mugger took that down, there's no way a mere random passerby child could stop them. No, I'd say it was the Petalburg or Rustboro Gym Leader. Or maybe the Devon Corp's President's son, they say he's pretty good. But anyways! I've talked long enough! You two need to get back wherever you came from, this is no place for little brats like you!" The way he says this, it sounds like he holds resentment towards whoever stopped the mugger. This is turning out badly.

"Well, I'm sorry, sir, but we have to go through the woods; we're en route to Rustboro City."

"Yeah! But, we don't really know how to get there. Sir, could you please show us the way?" What? Sapphire, what are you thinking?

"Uh, one sec, mister."

I edge close to Sapphire, and start talking quietly.

"Are you crazy? There's definitely something weird about this guy; there's no way it's safe to go with him! And we already have a map!"

"I know it's not safe! But that's why I want to go with him! I think he's got something to do with all this, and if we can him in the woods, we can take him down and make him talk!" Oh...she's violent. But damn. There's no way I can convince her that this idea is completely insane; she's too stubborn. And also because of that, there's definitely no way I can make her stop. I have to go along with this, no matter how crazy of an idea it is. There's no way she can take him by herself, which she WILL try if I don't go. The only good thing is that I think we could take him if he doesn't have powerful Pokemon.

"Well...this idea is just batshit insane, and so are you...but I can't stop you, so I'll just go along with it. I hope you know what you're getting us into." I say this, knowing 100% that she has no clue what she's doing. Why didn't I just go on this alone?

"Oh, don't worry! I've got my secret weapon, you know! And I'll remember that remark, too!" What? Secret weapon? Does she mean Torchic? Or what? Oh, the guy is staring at us..guess we better wrap this up.

"Uh, I agree with her. We need someone to show us the way, would you help?" Oh, this is such a bad idea...

"Heh, sure, kids. I guess that there's no harm in me..showing you the way. But you gotta recall those Pokemon of yours. I don't want them running off while we're going through the woods. And hurry up about it, I won't wait on ya!" And with that, he takes off walking towards the forest, leaving Sapphire and I to follow behind him. After we recall Mudkip and Torchic, we don't really speak on the way; I fear anything I say would alert the guy, and Sapphire either feels the same way or just doesn't want to talk. The strange man himself...I guess he's just not the talkative type. Or maybe he feels that he'd alert US if he spoke.

On the path to the woods, I again notice that there's no one around. Not on the beach below us, not on the actual path, not even on the raised ledge on the eastern part of the path...the only place that seems to be somewhat alive is the old, worn-down cottage over by the cliffs near the water, which has its lights on. There are some berry trees at the northern end of the route, but of course, with this guy with us, we can't go pick them or inspect them.

When we enter the woods themselves, it's the same; no one's around and it's eerily quiet, though in here there are wild Pokemon, including some I haven't researched...what's going on?

"Hey, stop screwing around? We've got to get deeper in the forest!" That...didn't sound right at all. I grip Mudkip's Pokeball tighter, ready to release him at any moment.

And as it turns out, that moment wasn't too far off.

"Hehe...looks like we're deep enough in here. Okay ya little brats, come quietly and I promise not to hurt ya...heh." Dammit! I knew it, yeah, but I guess I didn't really believe it until now.

"All right! All we have to do is take you out...Torchic, come on!" I guess I'll have to help out...

"Right! Mudkip, you're fighting too!" Right now, we really have no other choice but to fight. Though I doubt that matters at all to Sapphire; she'd be fighting either way.

"Heh, you're making a big mistake! I only lost to that weird green kid last night because that researcher wore me out...now that I'm ship-shape, I'll show you two what it's like the mess with Team Aqua! Come out an' play, Wooper and Corphish!"

The newly-identified Team Aqua member sent out two Pokemon, one blue, very round and simple-looking, with no arms, and only a small tail and weird, spiky antennae jutting out of the sides of its head to identify it, and one red and white, lobster-like Pokemon, with six short legs, very large claws, and three spikes sticking out of the top of its head...body...thing. This last one in particular looked ready to fight us, while the other seemed like it really didn't care...about anything.

"Ah..Sapphire, watch it! Those are Water-types, so Torchic is at a disadvantage!" At least, Corphish is a Water-type; I've never seen the other one. "I don't know what we should do here, really; this is a double battle, but we've only one Pokemon that can really fight them."

"Hey! Torchic's gonna fight too! It's not like these things are any good; some other kid beat them, right? I bet they don't even have any Water attacks!" Except, at that moment...

"Stop screwing around! Wooper, blast that little firebrand with Water Gun!" The blobby little 'Wooper' did just what I'd seen Mudkip do quite a few times: it launched a small stream of water from its mouth at about the speed you get if you hold your thumb over a water hose opening. Though, somehow, this water always seems a little denser than normal water, so I guess that's why it can actually hurt things a bit.

"What? It can actually use...that.." Sapphire was worried, but apparently, 'Wooper' isn't very well trained, as that shot missed by a mile.

"It doesn't matter that it can't hit you from afar! You still can't get close to it without being in danger. Listen Sapphire, I know enough about Corphish to know that it can't do much in the way of Water attacks, so you take it on. I'll fight this...'Wooper,' okay?" Well, it actually SHOULD know a Water attack, but it's weak and easy to avoid. It shouldn't be a problem for Sapphire or Torchic at all.

"Okay..Wooper. I've no idea how to fight you but—wait!" My dad upgraded my Pokedex for this very reason, right? I un-clip it from my belt, and point it at Wooper.

"Wooper. Type: Water/Ground. Height: 1'04". Weight: 18.7 lbs. Wooper usually live in water. However, they occasionally come out onto land in search of food. On land, they coat their bodies with a gooey, toxic film." Well that was long-winded and mostly useless(as per usual), but at least it told me the type.

"Okay...Water and Ground. Mudkip has the advantage here."

"Kid, I'm not waiting around all day! Wooper, Water Gun on that stupid blue one!"

"Don't even move, Mudkip. Just sit back and laugh." Of course, this Water Gun misses as well. If I stay away from Wooper, there's no way I can lose. But, at the same time, the Aqua guy might decide to send it after Sapphire. So, I have to get in close and keep the pressure on it.

"Mudkip, use your own Water Gun, but advance at the same time! Don't let it get near Torchic!" Mudkip does so, and luckily, he has far better aim than Wooper. It hits, and since Wooper is part Ground-type, it does a little damage. And it knocks it flat on its ass, which Mudkip apparently found hilarious, as it nearly fell over as well laughing.

"Mudkip! Keep running towards it! If we can keep it down now, then we'll win before it even gets up!" Mudkip, being who he is, runs over to the downed Wooper and starts smacking it around. Well, with that going smoothly, how is Sapphire doing?

"Useless little...ah well. Corphish, Bubble!" Unfortunately, Torchic was right in front of the lobster-like Pokemon, and took the full brunt of the otherwise weak attack. Some of the bubbles sprayed also clung to the little firebrand, hindering its movement. This isn't looking good...

"Ugh...Torchic, Scratch it! Take that stupid lobster down!" At her trainer's command, Torchic runs up to her enemy, claws bared in preparation for the attack...but she's still slowed from the bubbles, and since Corphish isn't just going to sit there and take the attack, she ends up chasing it around for a while before...

"Corphish, stop screwing around! Vicegrip! Crush that stupid bird!" At this, Corphish turns a full 180 and extends an open claw, looking to catch Torchic like a ball. Torchic, worn out from chasing the lobster and still impeded by the bubbles, can't stop herself in time, and is caught around the midriff. Corphish clamps down and holds the bird in place...and then gradually tightens its grip, slowly squeezing the breath out of Torchic.

"Torchic! Um...What do I do, Ruby?"

"Dammit! Mudkip, forget about the Wooper! Just get that Corphish away from Torchic any way you can!"

This is getting bad...Wooper's out of the picture now; the Aqua guy recalled it after Mudkip left it alone. But Corphish has Torchic at its mercy, and still has a free claw and its Bubbles to keep Mudkip away... Speaking of which, he's getting nowhere. Corphish used Harden to make physical attacks pretty much worthless, and the only special one Mudkip has is Water Gun, which Corphish resists...and to make it worse, it dug its legs into the ground to keep Mudkip from pushing it over. And Torchic is still being crushed...

"Torchic...just...attack its face! Its shell might be tougher now, but you can still claw at its eyes!" Well it's crude, but it works. Torchic claws at its captor's eyes in desperation to free itself, and it works, because apparently Corphish have no eyelids...or this one in particular lacks basic reflexes. But it only makes it lessen its grip, and Torchic still isn't freed.

"Mudkip, attack its claws while it's weak!" As expected, Mudkip's tackle knocks Torchic out of the crawdad's grasp. With the two of us, the type disadvantage shouldn't be too much of a hindrance...

"Forget this! I can see when I'm beat...and I won't dick around here waiting for the cops. And don't get too full of yourselves! Sure, you can beat little old me, but if you think you can take on the entirety of Team Aqua, you're crazier than the boss!" And with that, the man called back his Corphish and took off into the forest.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going? Come on, Ruby!"

"No! He knows these woods better than us for sure, even if he's only been here a short while. We can't catch him no matter how hard we try. And besides, he can't do anything without his Pokemon. Let's just get out of here." Do I really have to explain everything to her? Well, I guess I should get used to it if I want to become a professor. But traveling with such a hot-headed cohort could get frustrating. In fact it already is...

"Uhh. I guess you're right...but it just doesn't sit right with me, letting a criminal go. Well, if we report this to the police in Rustboro, I guess that'll make up for letting him escape, right? We have to anyways, really. It's our duty as citizens of Hoenn to protect it!" She just got here and she's already a nationalist for Hoenn? Maybe she didn't like Johto very much. Well, I guess it's good for Hoenn to have as many people fighting for it as possible, so I won't question the reason.

"Right, I guess. Besides, reporting this kind of stuff is what we're supposed to do, not going after the lawbreaker ourselves. We would have been in deep trouble for that stunt if that guy was worth a damn as a criminal. I know it's a little late for all this, but you need to keep this in mind. We're just rookies, so it wouldn't be surprising if we were killed by one of these guys who knew what he was doing." I'm not just doing this to keep Sapphire out of trouble. I'm not wasting my life trying to stop some evil organization. I'm only here to collect data on Pokemon and refine my skills as a professor.

"I know what you're saying, but I just can't abide by that. If I see any of these guys, I won't be able to stop myself from challenging them, even if it is dangerous. I can't just let them steal from people. And they may do worse things to innocent people! If we don't stop these people, who will?" Of course, we've been walking as we talk, and we're nearly out of the woods now. At least I think; the trees and other growth are thinning, and there are less wild Pokemon to avoid. But I can't just leave what she's saying alone; I have to set her straight.

"Who will? The authorities; this is what they're here for. And please, with your current skills, you'd only get yourself killed, and I won't help you if you meet up with a commanding officer; that would be suicide on my part. Chances are a real criminal organization would just kill you, and me if I helped you, on the spot. If you're going to actively go after these people, please wait until you're a better trainer. I can't have a death on my conscience this early in my life. Either way, let's just drop it until we get out of here; I don't know about you, but I'd rather avoid alerting a wild Pokemon or another of those Aqua grunts to our presence." I know I really shouldn't be this harsh, but it is the truth, and I don't want her getting hurt over something that should be left to the authorities.

"...yeah, we shouldn't talk much here. Let's wait until we get out of here." Hm..I think I hurt her spirit a bit, or at least made her angry at me. But I only said what I thought I should. If she still wants to go after these people, then so be it, but hopefully I've dampened that part of her for now. I guess only time will tell...

AN2: And so the chapter ends...Well, the battle scene in this was probably complete ass. Sorry; I don't dislike battle scenes like many fanfic writers seem to(yet), but I'll need to adjust to them. It may just be that they're so different from normal writing, I don't know. And yes, I know Ruby is sort of an asshole in the chapter, mostly towards the end, but that's just how he thinks(and more or less how I think). Ruby will probably be far better written than any other character, since I relate to him a lot and since I don't plan for him to be as generic as Sapphire at least.

Also, to amichalap, I'm sorry and I hope you actually see this since it's so late, but yes, Wally will appear again...I actually have some big things in store for him. As to what they are...well we'll both have to wait and see for that; even I don't know everything I plan to do. But rest assured he will be pretty important.


End file.
